Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-01-27

They can be had ready-made from
cabinet-makers or dealers in hardwood
lumber. The seven cleats are as long
as the toboggan is wide. and the two
side-rails are each 4 feet 6 inches
long. Leather thongs are easiest found
at the shoe-makers'. Porpoise leather
shoe-strings or strips of rawhide are
best; but any sound leather will dc.
Lay the boards side by side on the
floor, and lay the cleats in position, No.
being about an inch from the after
end and the rest at intervals of foot
to No. 6 Qeave No. for the presently.
Mark the positions of the cleats on the
board with pencil. and make dots
where the thong-holes are to come
four holes at the ends of the cleats and
two at the edges of the boards where
the cleats cross the cracks. The holes
at the ends of the cleats should not be
nearer than three-fourths of an inch to
the edges of the boards. Those at the
cracks may be half an inch from the
edges. Bore the holes large enough
for the thongs to pass through easily.
Then turn the board over and cut
shallow groove lengthwise of the grain
between each pair of holes. so that the
thongs will be ''countersunk," or even
with the under surface. After this
has been done, lash the cleats in posi-
ton, beginning with the inner holes and
leaving the side rails till last. Be care
full to round off all corners where the
thongs bear upon them. Cut shallow
notches at the ends of the cleats where
he side-rails rest, and lash them firmly
in place. The side-rails should reach
only a trifle beyond cleat No. 5. Lash
No. Z in position on the under side Of
the toboggan at the fore end.
1t now remains to bend the boards.
This is easiest done by steaming them
over or soaking them in, very hot
water, and bending them before lash
ing the toboggan together. But it can
be done after the lashing by fastening
double cords around cleats Nos. and
Z, and twisting with stick until the
ends are bent over as far as required.
These cords are usually left in place,
the sticks and the extra twist being re-
moved after the wood has dried. The
toboggan is now complete, with the ex-
ception of the hand-line, which is
fastened to the ends of cleat No. 6.
A toboggan constructed on the In
dian plan is somewhat loose-jointed.
but it is none the worse for that. If
preferred, the builder may use copper
wire for lashings. or may dispense
with lashings altogether and use
screws or clinch-nails. Machine-made
toboggans of excellent quality, fitted
with cushions and all the luxuries of
the season, are now largely manufac-
tured in the United States and Canada;
but a homemade article is far more
satisfactory than any thing that can be
bought. With such a craft the snow
fields may be navigated in any direc-
ton down hill, even when the crust is
not strong enough to bear foot pass
enger, or even when there is no crust
at all. Steering is done either with the
feet or with short sticks held out in
each hand.
Toboggans are made ten or twelve
feet long-long enough to carry six or
eight passengers; but they are built
precisely like the smaller specimens,
being merely heightened, with an adj
ditiOnal crosS-cleat at every extra foot,
and need not be described here
Charles Ledyard Norton. in Inter Ocean.